Porsche LIED about why they didn't sell the 959 in the US!

[@FicarraClassic]

Let’s hear your 959 questions! Tomorrow on my new channel I will answer them, and once I hit 1000 subscribers I will respond to my new VINwiki videos live!

[@oingoironman]

Tell us about the 959 racing history. Le Mans. Paris-Dakar.

[@silverpairaducks]

When Bill Gates drove his 959 was ot faster with or without pie on his face?

[@theFerraridkid]

I'm a Ferrari fan and I'm still wondering how Ferrari planned on beating the 959 with the 288 GTO, on paper it just doesn't make sense?

[@daveSoupy]

Please make those videos just as conversational on your channel. Don't be overly formal like I've seen so many other channels do. Your videos here are like listening to your friend tell stories in a bar. Do it like that.

[@RogerAlan]

There’s an orange light to the left of the tach and a green one to the right. What are those for?

[@Nick-ev1vk]

Could sit here and listen to JF recite auto history for hours. Someone get him and Steve Lehto to coauthor an audiobook on auto and racing history.

[@mattmayo3539]

John could read the phone book and we’d listen.

[@hobojesus9817]

Ooooh. My new bedtime-stories!!!

[@basicek9]

100%

[@rohanpingle4062]

Or, John Ficarra could start a podcast all by himself and call it 'Jo-Fi'.

[@j_mars_cars]

As an avid audiobook listener, I'd spend many audible credits to buy books of this variety.

[@Fopeano]

I worked at an American Audi/Porsche dealership for a few years in the early 2000's and used to spend my little downtime exploring the parts catalog, which included 2 years of the 959. It had the most insane price I ever found for anything. The rear bumper cover was $78,000. At the time, you could order a stock 996 body in white for that price. The brand new Carrera GT had a $14,000 rear bumper cover. Another I remember was the Carrera GT front rotors being $7,500, with the pad set a bargain at $460.

[@shakeydavesr]

Lol, I used to to something similar whilst working at Ford dealerships growing up. I was a porter, just moving cars around for the service Mgrs and techs mostly first thing in the mornings, but they could always find me in Parts Dept seeing what I could order from the SVO books and such,,,, still never never have gotten around to ordering my “Service Replacement" Boss 302 heads,,, oh well

[@dukecraig2402]

And people think I'm exaggerating when I tell them Porsche's are over priced and ridiculously expensive to fix, except for the owners when I hand them an estimate and they go "What!!! It costs how much!?!?", they know I'm not exaggerating.

[@axelknutt5065]

And I thought I was the only weirdo that liked to read parts manuals (and like @shakeydavesr , draw up my fantasy order list)

[@chrismathes3647]

Dad was a Porsche tech and brought me some of the dealership promotional stuff. Have the silver 959 on cobblestone road. Awesome stuff as a kid. When we built my Foxbody I'd justify the cost of my parts by comparing them to the German stuff. Remember my father replaced a 928 alternator and it was just under $700 lol. My 85 Mustang was about 6k with a built 351W. Remember a 911 with BBS wheels in my dad's shop. He had a Nova, was actrie gear head, but he commented "these wheels cost more than your entire car lol 😆" Ah, big boy toys for sure. My dad worked for Perfect Power in Illinois and at times worked on the cars of pretty famous folks. Willy Gault of the Bears, Chicago Bulls execs. Cost never a problem for them.

[@jimbobbumgarner7909]

I worked for Bruce in the early 2000's. I developed the stainless-steel exhaust system and the fixturing jigs for fabrication. The system had two cats with the redesign, so new system was necessary. I built 13 sets. We got 100 more horsepower and passed California Smog.

[@bigbird2451]

I met John Ficarra when he worked at Canepa. I was just some jerk off the street who leaned his bike against the front window and sheepishly walked into the showroom. I'm sure it was clear that I wasn't there to shop, but he treated me like a gentleman would and happily showed me around. A fine man.

[@RedMortinsen]

Q

[@EdBolian]

We love Ficarra's deep dives into the histories of some of our favorite cars!

[@violinmiata]

Thanks for the deep dive!

[@jamskatelake]

Which one of you is taller?

[@TheCannonball79]

Ed is taller.

[@Akecherfd8424]

Ed is this a car you will ever own?

[@vincentcook9545]

we need more john Ficarra storys!!!!!!!!

[@gillesklr650]

As a Canadian Soldier I was posted to Germany from 1986 to 1992. I believe it was 1987 or 88, my wife and I were driving east on the autobahn through Stuttgart and became very excited by seeing no less than 20 959’s at the Porsche factory. So cool.

[@michaelhaverty541]

I was working at Stodard Porsche in Bellevue Washington. Early morning Sunday a Porsche 959 pulled in the guy driving big beard flannel shirt work boots it was Paul Allen of Microsoft. He let me drive it. Needless to say it Is still one of the most exhilarating Porsches I’ve ever driven. We took it on the highway and he told me go as fast as you want. I got up to 140 in no time it was stable as a rock. The handling was unbelievable.

[@blacklabelholsters1635]

Probably my favorite car of all time. Being fortunate enough to work on, ride in and drive a 959 is definitely a highlight of both my career and life in general and I will be forever grateful to my former shop foreman, Tim and all the bosses at Barrier Motors for making that dream a reality for me. No one other than Tim really understood what that car meant to me and it is one of my most cherished memories from my too-brief of employment with Barrier(got lured away by race cars). My instructor at Porsche Training once asked the class what our favorite Porsche was and when it was my turn, I responded IMMEDIATELY with, "the 959 and I can't wait to see one!" He laughed and said, "they are unobtanium and you'll never see one." Three weeks later I called him from the passenger seat of a gorgeous LOW mileage 959. I still cannot believe I had that opportunity at 22 years old. Glad I had a chauffeur when I drove it! 😁 Sounds stupid, but just seeing one brings tears to my eyes. It's an insanely influential car and does not get the credit it deserves. I know this sounds nuts, but given the choice between one of these and a 20-30 million dollar McClaren F1, I'd take the 959 EVERY SINGLE TIME. I grew up loving that car and the desire will never leave my blood. What an utterly spectacular car!!

[@jameschaves5723]

I recently viewed one at the Audrain museum in Newport RI. It was my dream to see one as a kid. They also had a F1. But the 959 brings back memories

[@actionfaction2558]

One of my fondest memories is that I saw one in person while on a trip to Germany 20 years ago…not really, but sorta…as a car fan.

[@christophermartin972]

I live in Natick Massachusetts, there is a 959 parked right now @ an old run down car dealership. It just showed up there around 2-3 weeks ago and I cannot figure out for the life of me why it’s there. The business seems to never be opened, and the building it’s in is really run down and has fallen into disrepair. I drive by there 2-3 times a week to try to get inside and get a picture it @ least touch the car, but it’s never opened. So strange…..

[@jameschaves5723]

@@christophermartin972 that must be Jerry’s shop, EPE?

[@stevecole950]

I own my 911 Turbo S because it's the closest thing I can get to a 959 in this life.

[@joagargo01]

I am 52 years Old, I used to read Road & Track, Car and Driver, Automobile, Robb Report, this magazines had all the information about the cars that we all loved and admired. I never got to be wealthy enough to buy a 959, a GTO, a Countach, F40 or Testarossa but listening to this stories makes me remember those wonderful 80's. Thnak you Vinwiki for your channel and the wonderful guests that you have.

[@kpal2946]

I'm the same age, similar timeline. In 1992 I was driving by a dealership just off Rodeo Drive and in the show room there was 959. I was a tourist and the dealership was closed but I stopped and got a photo. It was so cool to see one.

[@nanobuddy]

John is by far my favorite guest on VINwiki. This man has some of the best stories.

[@atticus6572]

Couldn't agree more. I think he's underrated, even.

[@whyjnot420]

@@atticus6572 I wish that along with the regular appearances of Ficarra, everytime they thought about bringing Rabbit on they go "Nah, screw him, bring in Ficarra."

[@jshumphress13]

I kind of like rabbit. There are some others that I won’t name (Casey for example), that I just can’t handle. Some people are good storytellers, some aren’t. Some have a good story to tell, some don’t. The worst combination is the guy that can’t tell a story, but he thinks it’s a good story, and it’s not (looking at you Casey). Glad I left this anonymously as possible (I only sort of kid because there are others that I can’t handle. Click the link, see who’s telling the story, and immediately pick a different video).

[@whyjnot420]

@@jshumphress13 I get that Rabbit is a good storyteller, and that people enjoy him. I also bet he is likely charismatic and fun to hang around with. I just think he is a bit of a scumbag with crap like what he did on ebay. Personally I think people like him should not be showcased the way they do with the people who tell their stories here. He is one of those "Don't be this guy." people to me. So, sacrificing Rabbit on the altar of more Ficarra stories... That is a sacrifice I am willing to make. edit: typos

[@whyjnot420]

@@jshumphress13 BTW, I like to use the video preview to try and see who is presenting. Works well from the yt homepage, can be hit or miss with the old style thumbnail slideshow.

[@ferdinandrolff7100]

The 959 was offered to all German Customers who had bought a 911 in the previous three years with a 100,000DM deposit plus an undetermined final bill. In 1987 the final price was 420,000DM! But Porsche lost about 400,000DM per car! Program cost was about 300 million DM, a huge loss that almost bankrupted Porsche. Selling even more cars to the US would have killed Porsche for sure.

[@tedium37]

There's more lore and legend surrounding the 959 than any other car in memory. Its nice to hear the straight skinny from an authority on the subject.

[@Reaper_ZL1]

Jdm fanboys have entered the chat🤬🤬🙁

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

@Peter Angles hilarious. The 959 is the only reason the one f1 I know of in Canada is even in Canada. Bought in the states under show and display car law. Shipped to Canada as a track day car. Once 12 years old in Canada it becomes road legal.

[@indycustommade3568]

The first time I saw a 959 was on the Autobahn. I was stationed in Germany in the '80s and was driving to see my family. In my rearview mirror, I see a couple of high beam flashes and the guy had his left turn signal on. I thought what the hell because I had a Mercedes that could maintain around 240 to 260 KPH. This guy was coming up real fast so I moved over and this guy passed me like I was standing still. He was followed by a motorcycle who had its problems trying to keep up. I shook my head and limped ahead. I will never forget that.

[@MrCROBosanceros]

Yes, typical reaction of American or Canadian driving on German aurobahn.

[@indycustommade3568]

@@MrCROBosanceros What do you mean typical? I lived there for more than 20 years. My family still lives there. All my cousins would say the same thing. There is a difference between driving fast and driving recklessly. So I don't think it's a typically American reaction.

[@MrCROBosanceros]

@@indycustommade3568 Every Canadian or American person who experienced driving on the German autobahn had the same reaction as you. Everyone! For some strange reason first thing they do after entering the highway, they move to the fastest lane for no apparent reason. They usually drive an average car, they are not passing anybody, and most important reason, they don't know how to drive on Highway. It is not your business if they drive "recklessly", this is how they drive. If you don't drive one of the fastest cars and you are not passing anybody, don't go in the fastest lane. Any time I take a trip down Interstate 5 from Vancouver BC to Bay Area, I have to pull hair from my head from the frustration of reckless drivers. The worst section of the highway is through the mountains of southern Oregon and North California. There are clear signs along the highway, "slow traffic keep in the right lane" and "No trucks and R/V vehicles and fast lane. They always do the opposite thing, trucks trying to pass another truck uphill but they can't and they end up driving like that until they reach the top of the hill, blocking and slowing everybody else. I have to shift down to the second gear. Geezers with their R/V vehicles are the worst, they do the same thing but they don't have a clue how to drive large vehicles and I'm wondering, do they even have a license for air brakes?

[@indycustommade3568]

@@MrCROBosanceros Take a breath man. I get the whole driving on the right unless you are passing thing. I was driving in Germany since the '70s and '80s. Back then there weren't a lot of speed limit areas. Once you start getting towards towns they would start having limits. Back in the mid-'80s when the 959 came out it was a very rare car to see. Every time I got on the Autobahn I would always floor it when I could. Sorry I didn't elaborate on my story. Yes, I was passing someone at the time and didn't expect anyone to pass me at the speeds I was going. Back in the day, you would put your left turn signal on meaning you were intending to pass and not move over because of the speed. If you were in the left lane driving and you were one of those idiots that wouldn't move over you would flash your lights warning them you were coming up fast. As far as it not being my business if they drive recklessly, It sure would if they would wreck into me because they were racing on the highway. You sound like one of those guys that think you are the only one driving out there. You sound like you are about 18 and have road rage issues. Slow down you will enjoy life a lot more.

[@johnkelly6888]

What an epic conversation, please continue.

[@EvanPonton]

Now THIS is what Vinwiki is all about. I was glued to the screen for 20 minutes straight. Awesome story

[@MrHamlet]

I'll never forget being in a meeting with BillG, and he was distracted the entire time. After the meeting someone asked him what was going on, and he showed us pictures of his 959 sitting in a warehouse at a U.S. customs port. A few of us stayed behind and for the next ~20min Bill was telling us about this car and his struggle to get it into the U.S.

[@maxu4958]

Lol

[@yonypanofsky2763]

Bill seems so much cooler that he has great class with supercars

[@vincedibona4687]

But not cool enough to forgive him for going to Epstein’s pedophile island.

[@BastardX13]

I recall it being there for quite a time. As a young man at the time, I thought, if Gates can't get one, no one will. Astonishing car, still.

[@kpal2946]

did bill ever tell you about flying on epsteins jet and how he visited epsteins island several times. epsteins jet had flight logs. good times with bill.

[@adriaanmowbray1049]

Getting to see Canepa's white 959 ripping around when I was a kid is part of what got me into performance cars.

[@jadedlake]

It wasn't Canepa's.

[@06VistaBlueGT1]

Grew up less than 10 minutes from Holbert's Porsche in Warrington Pa. It was big local news when Al passed away in the plane crash. I'll never forget riding in the school bus (I went to elementary school in Warrington) every day and seeing the Porsches out on the lot. Even years after Al passed, his 962 race car was in the showroom for anyone to come see (it was eventually sold). I miss seeing it.

[@bicyclist2]

I went to a private boarding school for 9th grade. I had a poster of a 959 deluxe in silver on my wall. I loved it. In the 80's, I read every car magazine that had any information on the 959, 288, or F40 in it. I have still yet to see one in person. I loved this video. Thank you.

[@axelknutt5065]

The Ferrari museum in Maranello has a 288 and an F40 next to each other in the room with a 250GTO … I think they got that display just right. I’m not sure which looks best 288 or F40 but I’m leaning towards the 288.

[@bhaggen]

The "story" back then was that Porsche presented the DOT with their computer model crash-test data but the DOT wanted to crash-test real cars

[@yeoldesaltydog7415]

Thats what I heard and then some "doctors" bought three to 'Test' them so they could have them here.. never heard anymore than that lol Gotta love the early 90's even the "Stealth" Fighter ended up NOT being what they said lol. And the Testors model kit was bought by Ruskies who went ashore secretly to some hobby shop to buy said model HAHAHAHA! The stories before the internet and the ability to truly research.

[@trance9158]

That's what I heard

[@maxwellmanning7178]

Was a pleasure to work with you John. Great info and even I learned something new!

[@ElectronicsGuy666]

I was 12 years old in 1988. Family vacation to San Francisco, we are walking down the street somewhere near Pier 39 and I saw one parked on the street. I was blown away. I know it was a 959; I had read the issue of Car and Driver 100 times and later it was my favorite car to drive in Test Drive 2. Our neighbor had a 911 so I know for sure I did not mistake it for that. Sick looking car.

[@erikschuman3820]

As you mentioned the Ferrari 288 GTO was also not for sale in the US. But I worked at a very very high-end audio file store in Houston Texas and in the summer of 1985 we had a guy pull up and park and come into the store and it was a red Ferrari 288 GTO. I couldn't believe it and it was even more beautiful in person than in the magazines. I guess it was gray market. It's still my favorite of the Ferrari super cars.

[@longtailgt]

This could be a 1 hour long episode and I would still watch it! What a story! Love the 959 too!

[@georgesam7805]

Back in 87/88 I drove 2 959s. Worked for the company who "legalized" them. One was silver and one was white. Cars were amazing. Also drove the 288 GTO at the same time. I was only 18 and these guys trusted me with these cars to transport back and forth.

[@superdave2316]

That was a phenomenal story. I'm Track Chairman for PCA in Canada and I'm grateful for you sharing that story with us. Cheers!

[@FicarraClassic]

You're welcome! And thank you for your hard work at the PCA. You guys are the backbone of the brand and don't get enough recognition.

[@Pengajim]

When I was in high school. I was passed by a silver 959 near San Francisco. I can only assume it was Mr. Gates. This was about '88 or '89. I've seen one other 959 since. That said, I've seen more 959s than playstation 5s.

[@np5844]

Bill's was one of the ones impounded on import, it sat for YEARS in customs storage as CBP would not release it to him. Paul Allen's got through though, and it was always a point he could needle him on for fun. It still wasn't street-legal, but who's going to notice just one more weird Porsche roaming around, unless you run the plates?

[@Element_y]

That's interesting because the only 959 I've ever seen in real life was on the Golden Gate Bridge. Silver, circa 2007 ish I froze in place with my jaw dropped for at least 2 min

[@jadedlake]

Not Gates. Dr. Stone. Illegally imported. But Merritt knew that because he looked the other way when Dick Fritz "certified" it.

[@toasty862]

@@np5844 Impressive. Very nice. let's see Paul Allen's 959.

[@np5844]

@@toasty862 I don't think I would describe silver as a subtle off-white color.

[@shafferjoe1962]

And now I know, "The rest of the story". I love your in depth car knowledge and just the way you present it. God bless brother

[@shannonshier8723]

I miss Paul Harvey

[@kylesonsalla7620]

@@shannonshier8723 Same

[@robertschreiber8099]

@@shannonshier8723 MANY of us do, Shannon. I remember listening to, Paul, Jr. trying to take his place. Along with 4, or 5 others. Those are a pair of shoes, nobody could fill..... Try as Paul tried. (((((( It was all Paul, Sr. Voice. carizma....

[@withoutname6639]

I once read that when Al Holbert took the DOT guy around Nazareth speedway in the 959, he drove the car like a normal car and that is why it was not let in. It was suggested that he should have pushed the car to its limit showing the cars true performance as a track day car and not a car to be driven on streets

[@fadetounforgiven]

12:22 the car in the picture has a Spanish license plate, with the previous letters and numbers system from the current one. The first letter (or two) referred to the province (in this case, M stands for Madrid), then four numbers from 0000 to 9999 in sequential order as cars were assigned a license plate, and then one or two letters. Initially, all provinces began with (letter(s)) - 0000 - A, then 0001 - A and so on, so when they got to 9999 - A, the next one would be 0000 - B. When a province reached 9999 - Z, the next one would be 0000 - AB, that is, starting all over but with two letters, only that the second one couldn't be a vowel (and there where other exceptions such Q and Ñ where never used so they were not mixed up with O and N). This would go on until some time in the year 2000 when Madrid (the province that sold the most cars) was going to reach 9999 - ZZ and that would mean adding a third letter, which was not ideal, as some provinces still had only one and most of the ones with two final letters were very far back. So, they came with the current system: just four numbers and three letters, but no initial one or two letters with the geographical information they used to have. This was the way to stop some "not nice people" from stealing or breaking into your car and rob you due to your origin based on your license plate, for example, Madrid vs. Barcelona. Little funny story: my province and the one just north have football (soccer) teams that are rivals, as much as they get. It was easy to find cars from one province that were seld in the other one having some kind of merchandising, stickers, whatever in the rear part of the car so people would know they were not "outsiders". I never had any problem, but it could have happened. Oh, by the way, the car in the picture has a license plate from 1990.

[@johnharris6655]

Funny story about the 924. My mom met my step dad when she went to test drive a 924 and he was the salesman. He was a great guy and a great dad. Being the sales manager he got to drive some cool demo cars home which included the 924, the 928 and the Audi 5000.

[@rapid13]

I remember the whole DOT thing; I don't think anyone mentioned that it was Porsche causing the issue lol!

[@jadedlake]

that's because Porsche didn't cause the issue.

[@adamdeichert1686]

@@jadedlake 😂😂😂

[@silaskuemmerle2505]

@@jadedlake Porsche did cause the issue by refusing to give the DOT the crash test data though

[@paulstrecher6194]

Plenty was said about it back then.

[@fraserwright9482]

Well my parents raced Porsches in New Zealand in the 80s. No DOT there. The 959 was very techy and in many ways like buying a Rimac now, a sales flop as it was made for Swiss or South German people. Remember you could buy a 962 for the same price and it could race anywhere and win. The 959 Dakar thing was like the 2023 Audi Dakar, you aren't buying it, but the R8 GT3 race car? Sure. I put the 959 in the same boat as GTR skylines for Americans, it's a forbidden fruit.

[@Suhspencce]

Ficarra is literally one of my favorite people of all time

[@samoksner]

I got to see a 959 in person at a Porsche shop in LA and was surprised by its proportions, it's an odd looking beast in person!

[@Salvaba]

You can tell John is really passionate about this story because he put the beer down!

[@jamespritchard744]

The story of his declaration that the 911 will never die is just as fantastic. I was lucky enough to do the week long Porsche training with a former Yellow Bird mechanic. Picking his brain made the week so much better.

[@wolfchildproductions2869]

This.... was a great one. It's not often that someone privy to such unique experiences is also a great storyteller.

[@stevewages]

As a teenaged Porsche fan, we arranged to get the tour of the 911 production line in Zuffenhausen in 1987. After the tour, behind some chain link fence, I was lucky enough to see TWO 959s, and damn if my jaw didn’t hit the floor.

[@frankfilippone9679]

Still my favorite! Had the Tamiya RC car back in the 80s , and I broke it immediately trying to rally it in my backyard, I would love to see one in person, what a legend!

[@Rattles02]

The 959 is definitely my favorite Porsche. I was lucky enough to see one on display in Stuttgart at the museum several years ago. The hostess told me that it had just been returned to display a couple days before I was there. The 962 was also on display.

[@tjchr3]

John's probably the best one on here for telling stories

[@JoeSmith-nu8oo]

I was at the Frankfurt IAS in 1983 when this car was introduced, but I had no clue the significance this car held, I just drooled over all of them! Porsche is my favorite, especially the 911 Turbo😍

[@BatCaveOz]

Nice to have Ficarra back, instead of the cheat, lie, and steal guy. Also - This could be red.

[@hotsedan]

I'm in the UK & I remember reading bits of the American 959 sales issues years ago, thanks for clearing up all the old rumours John 👍

[@1607trojan]

When I was in Jr High I took a picture of a silver 959 to wood shop to laminate as my project. First thing I ever made and proudly hung it in my room and would lay in bed day dreaming about owning one.

[@dustinconiglio9571]

I'd listen to John recite tax law. But, it's always a good day for a good John Ficarra story.

[@tony66au]

Man that was good! Admired Porsche cars for decades as well as the work they did for other manufacturers like Mercedes to produce iconic cars that became legends.

[@mrjoshiex]

This video is a top 10 in the Vinwiki library

[@Raynl1978]

When I trained to be a Porsche tech, I had the only 959 factory certified technician as an instructor. He had to travel to Germany since they didn't have a state side training program

[@Dwendele]

There was a 959 in Schwabisch Gmund, Germany when I was stationed there in the late 80s. I walked by it nearly every day. At the time, it was, in my opinion, the coolest car ever built.

[@Potzii85]

Great storytelling! Really enjoyed the technical details. Apart from tire-pressure monitoring, it was the first production car with ABS and Traction Control 👌

[@kb9072]

Used to see one parked on a drive of a house (Catford, London) that was worth less than the car. It had the number plate 959 BAN which must have been worth close to the value of the house. Stunning car in silver.

[@fullspectrum2752]

One of the FEW benefits to getting old is to listen to stories like this and match up memories over time. I watched this car get launched, heard the stories, and to have this bow put on it (for now) is just nuts. Never new all of this and well, as they say, here is the rest of the story. Thanks for this, not a big fan of this specific car but wow what a wild story this car has been on. Only saw one in real life at a repair shop and was just blown away at all the tech.....and the price :-).

[@macmaccourt]

8:40 = 961 1 of 1 - (959 based) In 1987 it crashed and caught fire, but subsequently restored and is retained by the Porsche Museum.

[@yakbreeder]

"Porsche Porsche burning bright, spinning it's wheels into the night, dump the clutch and give it gas, tell the world to kiss your ass." - Letter to the editor, Car and Driver circa 1985, '86 or '87.

[@DanaOrtiz]

Oh thank god we start the week off right this week with the man the myth and the legend himself John Ficarra ladies and gentlemen!!

[@steeveomcjameson8673]

Cool story!! I was very young (10-11) when these came out and remember my dad bitching about how they weren’t selling them in the US and people that had them were storing them in Canada until they could bring them in.

[@dubdaze68]

The 959/961 is such a game changer, it would have been interesting to see what Porsche would have done with it, if not for troubling financial times.

[@racekar80]

The owner of my local Porsches dealer has one, it’s in the showroom and I always take a look when I get service done.

[@stanmarks3950]

All the world's worries disappear for 20 min while I get to hear another Mr Ficarra story with a glass of Jameson IPA edition in hand. Thanks VINwiki.

[@danielho5635]

I knew a guy in Irvine, CA who bought a 959 from the original owner in the early 90's. I saw it myself and it was gorgeous. Wow.

[@getdealtwithquick]

"Would you want to crash into a wall in a 959 or your Dodge Vault?" - I no I definitely wouldn't want to crash the 959 😏 (Bones heal!)

[@stewkeene]

Thanks for telling that story. I always wondered why we never saw any 959’ here in the us. It was so far ahead of its time and a shame it was shunned from being available here.

[@RichJordan3]

Ficarra is back, this is the best gift for a Monday.

[@1oldskoolluvr]

Thank you for diving so deep into (imo) the most beautiful Porsche ever built. I've had a long standing lust of the 959 since they first debuted. I'll never be able to own one, but man....one can dream. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us John!

[@jamesmisener3006]

Got a little emotional there near the end. Dreams do come true, for a few! I expected a tissue box taped to the blade of a hockey stick to reach out for ya but you kept it together! Cheers 🇨🇦

[@tjsnell]

This guy knows more about the 959 than I know about my own life.

[@germanstudent06]

That was a DAMN good story. I've never owned one but I've attended PCA gatherings at Texas Motor Speedway. The entire Porsche story is remarkable!

[@CuoreSportivo]

as a european i was asking myself while watching the video that how come show and display exemption didn't work for this car, just to realize that this is the OG car that started it all. cool af.

[@DarinNederhoff]

I'm curious.... I knew an original 959 owner and the story was that his car was actually shipped to the U.S. and was (I think) at a dealership in Ohio I think but then wound up being shipped back overseas. He kept it in Germany for a while before selling it. Unfortunately, he's no longer around to ask but does anyone else know of such an occurrence?

[@douglaswaite9574]

They were shipped to Holberts in Warrington, PA. Sat for a few momths waiting for Al to get them released. Even sat outside for awhile and received some acid rain damage. They were moved to inside storage in Doylestown after Al died. I remember seeing them rolling down Rt 611, even later, toward Philly where I assume they were shipped back to Germany.

[@TomWilliams-z4e]

One key element of the overall story: Porsche was on the brink of bankruptcy in 1990. They had to hire Toyota consultants to entirely restructure how cars were made. If not for the Cayenne craze, bankruptcy was a big threat.

[@hanselemans4237]

The story about who owns what and which company in the VAG group is chasing who is crazy enough to make a movie about it.

[@TomWilliams-z4e]

@@hanselemans4237 gennau. Truly insane family BS. Thankful Porsche is separated from the train wreck of the Volkswagen brand.

[@mignav464]

The 288 GTO might be less advanced technologically speaking, but still has comparable performance. It didn't have to be so advanced either, because it didn't have the 911 no.1 flaw, the engine in the back 😂

[@iamgeek246]

One of the best VINWiki stories as of late!

[@klaspeppar5619]

Fun fact, the Porsche 959 was never brought in to Sweden ether as it didn’t meet Swedish emissions standards.

[@extec101]

sweden dident want anything to be faster then saab turbos.

[@klaspeppar5619]

@@extec101 didn't really matter how fast it was, when it didn't meet emissions. Sweden use to have some of the strictest emissions standards in the world, after California.

[@extec101]

@@klaspeppar5619 its just a joke since sweden got a pride in both volvo saab and koniggggseggg. its just a skame that GM desided to mess with saab and kill of the brand and make halv of trollhattan unemployed.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

I love how you tell stories. Always enjoyable.

[@donaldparlett5789]

The first time Iwent to Europe was in 1984. I was on a train going to Rome. I was awake admiring the Alps busting through Austria when a silver 959 rolled by us on the highway next to the railtrack. I had to look twice because I love the 911, but this was NO 911 it was the 959 which I had seen in magazines. I still remember even today in 2022. It was beautiful to behold.

[@richardflagg3084]

I lived on Hilton Head Island for several years back in the late 80's. I came home from work one day in '87 I believe, it may have been '88, and there was a 959 parked behind The Players Club. I've since lost the picture I took with it, but it truly was breathtaking to see one in person. It was on island for that one day only, as far as I know. We never saw it again or met the owner.

[@tomking7080]

This was such a legendary car!!! I still have my big die cast version of the 959. It still looks amazing 35 years later it actually looks better than some vehicles today

[@chrismathes3647]

Dad fixed Porsche cars in the 80/90s had a 1985 959 dealer poster on my wall...the silver car with pink neon lights in the background. Had a matchbox car sold at the dealerships too...sold them on ebay for about 200 😳 Anyway, my old man always talked about this car, just a legend 🙌

[@jhettman1]

Thank you for talking about the group B differences! So many people and even journalists have gotten this story wrong...its almost legendary now how the GTO and 959 "were developed for rallying" when that's completely false and it's just lazy journalists and content creators.

[@MiguelGarcia-vj7oo]

Ironically it had more success in Dakar then endurance..........

[@pnwripping6636]

I can listen to John all day, I love the history behind the 959 especially, this dude truly is a wonder to listen to

[@James-oo1yq]

Incredible car for the 1980s, and so rare in comparison to the F40

[@mikescherrer4923]

Totally, F40s are a dime a dozen can't throw a rock without hitting one.

[@alaskanassassin7332]

Black 959 in a snow backdrop is MY poster wall car from my childhood

[@ciddax754]

G = "Gelände" which means literally "terrain" but would be translated from it's meaning to "offroad"

[@GIZZMOTORSPORTS]

Does he really believe he’s touched more 959s than guys that worked at the factory??

[@RedDeadSpearhead]

These cars were built before I was born, I've seen the likes of a CGT and 918 in the flesh, I've never once been near a 959 in person. But none of that matters, it still is my end all, be all favorite car ever, and if I'm ever lucky enough to see one in person, my life will be complete. Ownership would be nothing short of heaven.

[@tbaker1985]

His excitement about car history, makes me excited about car history. Love his videos.

[@Pickchore]

Now you should get Boris Becker to talk about his high speed run in one of these. I think it was near 200mph in the UK.

[@EdDale44135]

Interesting how many of the technology from the 959 came into the later 911. I wonder if Andial had anything to do with the water cooled heads, since they did it in race cars.

[@dthdthdthdth]

I saw the 959s in the back parking lot at Hobert's in Warrington, PA in the late 1980s.

[@EricSPaul]

Same here! Loved growing up near Holberts!

[@Thomas-ul3uy]

I remember this car when it hit magazines and I was simply in awe of how it looks and performs. A very striking design that stands the test of time.

[@daveblock4061]

I had a 79 930 Grey market Euro spec 300hp, not the 261hp US spec. The 959 was my Dream Car. I still have the white 959 "Gruppe B" poster. Closest I came was sitting in Derek Bell's Lowenbrau 962C at Al Holbert's shop.

[@Deckzwabber]

959 is definitely one of the coolest cars ever made

[@mathewhumvee]

Porsche: We didn't design the 959 to be a rally car, but we will still win the Dakar rally.

[@Paul_VanGo]

Initially the 953, where they tested the drive line successfully. And the later 959 did actually still use the 953 3.2 atmo air-cooled engine.

[@JimZRyd]

Amazing story! Thank you so much for bringing this history of the legendary 959 to us!

[@CeeVee7771]

If my memory serves me well I saw one race at Le Mans in the mid 80's. It just droned around for 24 hours with no problems and won it's class, finishing well up the overall order.

[@jasonb4988]

The first time I saw a 959 in person was when Champion Porsche had one on display for about a year. It was like the gray ones in the video presentation. It was absolutely gorgeous and I have multiple pictures of it. Later on as a huge fan, I would go on track down the 959 book that was made, with the medallion in a case. I remember buying it from Moto books in Manhattan. They had a location in the 50s just off of Park Avenue. At that time I also met John Barnes from Cavalino magazine, and the guy running the store actually was the former manager of I believe the band modern English. Obviously the guy was an English guy, so it was pretty cool. I was just saying to my wife today, the 959 would be my ultimate car, and that even by today standards is still one of the most outstanding vehicles in terms of performance, operation, and longevity. Thanks for an awesome video.

[@kellyscars]

The weissach test car used to live in Long Beach for a long time. Seeing those 959s at Canepa was wild!

[@bramvanengeland5288]

Super cool to see my pictures in your program. These pictures from the silver 959 where taken by me from the 959 we sold about 3 years ago. Company Carlink in the Netherlands, working there since 2014.

[@anthonywoodham3311]

Finally! Some one talks about the 959. The 959 is my favorite Porsche.